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Feb. 14, 1956 Filed Ma'rQh 3, 1952 C- L. VAUGHN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 In 6 r CLAUDE L V745H Afrarney Feb. 14, 1956 c. L. VAUGHNARTICLE OF FURNITURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1952 In van forCLAUDE L. WUGHN,

y M 11W Attorney United States Patent ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Claude L.Vaughn, Yankton, S. Dak.

Application March 3, 1952, Serial No. 274,574

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-188) The present invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in articles of furniture and mort particularly toimprovements in household articles of furniture such as armchairs,sofas, sofa beds and the like, generally of the upholstered type.

In general, the invention contemplates the provision of an article offurniture, such as mentioned above, wherein the arms or ends are hollowto provide compartments for the storage of articles therein. To thisend, the arms or end portions are provided with hinged closures for thecompartment and there are also provided shelves to support articleseither with the closures in open position or within the compartment whenthe closures cover the arm or end compartments.

An object of the present invention is to provide an article of furnituregenerally of the above type, wherein the shelf structure is movable withthe closure member between open and closed positions thereof to affordready access to the shelf when in open position and wherein the shelf ismaintained in a substantially horizontal and level position throughoutthe movements thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved means forinterconnecting a shelf with the closure member and a fixed part of thearm or end, such interconnecting means operating to maintain the shelfin level position throughout movements thereof. A still further objectof the invention is to utilize the shelf connecting means for partiallysupporting the shelf and also for limiting outward movement of theclosure member.

The invention still further aims to provide an upholstered article offurniture, such as an armchair, sofa or the like, which is of relativelysimple construction, which is easily manipulated to effect opening andclosing of the end compartments, and which construction lends itself torapid manufacturing and assembling methods.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious andwill hereinafter be more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing for the purposes of illustrationan upholstered armchair embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of such an upholstered armchair with theclosure members in open position to show the interior of thecompartments and the shelves;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of one arm shown with thecompartment closed;

Figure 4- is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the closure memberand shelf in open position; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail in section taken along the line 55 ofFigure 3.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, it will be seenin Figures 1 and 2 that the invention is shown for purposes ofillustration in connection with an upholstered armchair having a bottomsupported on suitable feet 12, side arms consisting of front panels 14,14a and horizontal arm supporting panels 15, 15a,

'ice

a back 16, and a seat cushion 18 supported on the bot tom. The endclosures 20, 20a for the arm compartments are curved at the rear endsthereof, as at 22, 22a, to coincide with the curvature of the arms alongthese portions.

As more particularly shown in Figure 2, the closure members are shown inopen position and, since both may be identical in form, only one will bedescribed in detail. The compartment 24 within one arm is closed at therear by a further wall portion or flange 26 and also by a bottom Wall28. The closure member 20 includes an outer closing wall portion andperipheral flanges 30 which meet with the corresponding adjacent edgesof the arm when in closed position and thus form extensions of the frontand top panels 14, 15. The closure members are hinged, as at 31, 31a, atthe bottom of the adjacent arms and any suitable type of catch may beemployed to hold the closure member in its closed position.

For convenience in supporting articles within the arm compartment andalso for the purpose of supporting the same articles outwardly of thecompartment and in maintained level and readily accessible position,there may be provided upper and lower shelves 32, 34, which aremaintained in substantially horizontal and level position during openingand closing movements of the closure member in a manner to behereinafter pointed out.

Reference is now made to Figures 3, 4 and 5 in connection with thedetailed description of the means interconnecting the shelf 32 with aclosure member and its corresponding compartmented arm. The shelf 32 isprovided at one end with an outwardly extending portion 35 (Figure 5)which is connected by a pivot 35 to the adjacent flange portion 30 ofthe closure member. The opposite end of the shelf is cut away as at 37(see Figure 2) to accommodate taller articles within the compartment andthis end of the shelf is similarly pivoted to the adjacent flange of theclosure member. Inwardly of the projecting end portion 35 of the shelf,there remains a recessed portion spaced inwardly of the arm panel 14 toaccommodate the means interconnecting the shelf and the arm.

A plate-like member or arm 38 is secured by a screw 39 to the shelf anda washer 40 spaces the link from the adjacent edge of the shelf. Theopposite end of the plate-like member or arm is free and theintermediate portion of the link is provided with an elongated slot 42through which a screw 43 extends and is secured to the front panel 14 ofthe arm. A further washer 44 also is positioned to space the plate-likemember or arm from the front panel of the arm. For further stability,the imperforate-upper part of the plate-like member or arm may besecured by a screw 45 or the like to the adjacent edge of the shelf anda further spacing washer 46 may also be positioned to maintain theplate-like member or arm in its properly spaced position with respect tothe shelf and the inner face of the front panel 114.

During opening and closing movements of the closure member 29, and withit the shelf 32, the plate-like member or arm 38 which is relativelyshort to fit within the compartment when closed will travel to thelimited extent permitted by the screw 43, passing through the slot 42therein. It Will be seen that the outward pivotal movement of theclosure member 2!) will lower the outer end of the shelf 32 a certaindistance, depending upon how far the closure member is opened, and sincethe shelf 32 is also connected to the plate-like member or arm 38, theplate-like member or arm will be similarly lowered to correspondinglylower the inner portion of the shelf. Thus, during either opening orclosing movements, the shelf will be maintained in substantiallyhorizontal level position within the limits of movement permitted by theplate-like member or arm. If desired, a rail 48 or the like may beprovided around the shelf.

At the bottom of the arm compartment, there may be provided the furthershelf 34 which is also maintained in level position during opening andclosing movements. This lower shelf is pivotally hinged, as at 49, tothe closure member 24) and the intermediate portion of the shelf 34rides between upper and lower guide blocks 50, 51, respectively, so asto maintain this lower shelf substantially level throughout itsmovements.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the presentinvention affords a convenient and serviceable piece of furniture, or anarm therefor, wherein articles may be easily stored within the armcompartment and out of sight or wherein the articles may be renderedreadily accessible for use of an occupant. Thus, books, beverages,cigarette trays and the like, may be supported on one of the shelves. Inshifting the closure member and shelving between open and closedpositions, the shelf is maintained in level position so that thearticles supported thereon will not be tilted, thus assuring thatbeverages will not spill and cigarettes or ashes will not be dischargedfrom an ash tray or other receptacles. The platelike connector mechanismlimits the outward movement of the shelf and associated closure memberand maintains the shelf in substantially level position within suchlimits of movement. While such plate-like connector has been shown atone end of the upper shelf, it will be understood that the plate-likeconnector may be disposed centrally of the shelf or a similar andadditional platelike connector mechanism may be provided adjacent theopposite end of the shelf across the Wide portion thereof.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes ofillustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be accomplishedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture such as an upholstered arm chair, sofa andthe like, comprising a bottom body portion having secured thereto an endarm portion in the form of a box-like structure open at the outer sidethereof, a closure member pivoted adjacent the base of said boxlikestructure and having limited pivotal movement to open and close the openside thereof, a shelf structure pivotally supported at its outer end tosaid closure member and movable therewith into and out of the saidboxlike structure, and means slidably and pivotally supporting the shelffrom an inner stored position in the box-like arms for horizontalmovement into an outer extended position when the closure member isopened outwardly.

2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supportingmeans between the shelf and the boxlike structure includes a plate-likemember having an inclined rectilinear guide surface and a screw passinginto the box-like structure and engaging said guide surface whereby tomaintain the shelf in substantially horizontal level position.

3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plate-likemember is secured by screws at spaced fixed points to the shelf in orderto stabilize the same and wherein the guide surface is provided by aslot in said plate-like member.

4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 3, wherein the closuremember includes peripheral flanges directed toward the box-likestructure and complementing the same when closed, and wherein the shelfincludes a longitudinal projection at one end thereof pivoted to theadjacent closure flange and providing a space between the remainingportion of the end of the shelf and the adjacent Wall of the box-likestructure within which space the plate-like member is disposed andmaintained in a spaced position by spacing washers interposed betweenthe plate and shelf and associated with the securing screws.

5. An arm member for attachment to an article of furniture of the classdescribed, and comprising a hollow box-like body portion, a closuremember pivoted to the body portion for laterally opening and closing thesame, a shelf extending between the closure member and box-like bodyportion, a fixed pivot between the closure member and the shelf andserving to support the outer end of the shelf, a fixed abutment carriedby a side of said box-like structure, means providing a rectilinearguide surface fixed to said shelf and inclined with respect to thevertical component of movement of said pivot during opening and closingof the closure member, and said guide surface engaging said fixedabutment to support the inner portion of the shelf and maintain theentire shelf substantially horizontal during opening and closingmovements of the closure member with respect to the body portion.

6. An arm member as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide surface ispresented by a slot in a plate-like member fixed to and bodily movablewith said shelf during opening and closing movements of the closuremember.

7. An article of furniture of the class described, comprising a bodyportion, an end member mounted on the body portion, a closure memberforming with the end member a hollow compartment, means pivotallyconnecting the closure member and the end member for relative pivotalmovement therebetween to laterally open to a limited extent and closethe hollow compartment, a horizontal shelf disposed within saidcompartment and having a fixed pivot connecting the front end thereofwith said closure member, and means fixed to the shelf and having asliding connection with the end members for interconnecting the shelfwith the end members for maintaining the shelf substantially levelduring limited relative movement between the closure member and the endmember.

8. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 7, wherein theinterconnecting means between the closure member and end member includesa plate-like member fixed to the shelf for bodily movement therewith andhaving a sliding connection with the end member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,342,387 Kornaszewski June 1, 1920 1,585,574 Thompson et a1. May 18,1926 2,170,717 Hull Aug. 22, 1939 2,229,937 Reese Jan. 28, 19412,296,950 Roedl Sept. 29, 1942 2,372,672 Hultgren et al. Apr. 3, 1945

